Good Ol' Hogwarts
by another-hp-fan
Summary: The war is over, and the trio is at Hogwarts for their 7th year. A whole new world is waiting. HG RHr, some HrD. Please R & R!


"Hermione, could you look over this essay for me?" Ron asked, desparatly. "God knows Snape'll do the best he can to give me a bad grade on it. Least I can do is give him P-worthy work."

Harry snorted a bit.

"What's so funny?" Ron demanded, his attention suddenly off his essay and onto Harry. "You'd best do the same thing! Harry, it's our N.E.W.T year!"

This just gave Harry more reason to laugh. "Ron, since when have you cared so much about your grades?"

"Ever since Mum told me that she'd take away my broomstick if I didn't get at least three N.E.W.Ts this year." Ron turned back to Hermione, who was fervently scribbling away at her own essay. "So, whaddya say, 'Mione?"

Hermione looked up. The moment she saw the glint in Ron's eye that suggested he was asking her to review a paper, she turned away. "No," she said forcefully. "I'm not going to rewrite a paper for you and have you turn that in instead. You'll never learn anything that way."

"I wasn't asking you to re-write it!" Ron cried. "I was simply asking you to look over it. Ever since Snape got pushed back to his old Potions position, he's been angrier than hell. I don't want to push his temper by making him yell at me for bad grades."

"He'll yell at you anyway, Ron," Harry threw in. "Just the other day, he gave me a detention for stopping in the middle of the corridor to pick up my parchment."

"It shouldn't have been out in the first place," Hermione replied simply. She looked up from her essay. "Just be glad it wasn't the Map, Harry."

Harry felt the color draining out of his face, and hastily turned back to his homework. The truth was, it _had_ been the Marauder's Map. Harry had been looking for Ginny (though he would never tell anyone that) and had accidentally dropped it. Hastily, he had wiped it clean, and picked it up. Snape had come around the corner and given him a detention. Harry had a fleeting suspicion that Snape had known what it was, perhaps been hoping to confiscate it.

He turned back to his friends, thinking once again about Ron's sister. Ever since the war had ended, he had been thinking a lot about Ginny. Since Hogwarts had been shut down for a year due to the war, all the students were in wrong years. First years were supposed to be second years, Ron, Harry, and Hermione were supposed to have graduated, and Ginny was supposed to be in her N.E.W.T year. Luckily, the Ministry had allowed all Hogwarts students to finish their education at the year that they had left. And since the war was over and Voldemort was defeated, Harry had no more reason not to ask Ginny out again. He had been simply waiting for the right moment to do so.

"Oh fine, Ron!" Hermione snapped. "I'll do it." She grabbed the parchment out of Ron's hand. "But be warned, it's not going to happen again."

"Oh of course not," Ron agreed hastily. "Thank you so much. I really mean it, Hermione."

"You're welcome," she said shortly.

In the few minutes that Ron had nothing to do, he sat back, beaming. Harry could clearly tell he was glad to have Hermione around, that she too had decided to come back to school. That way, Ron could have her check and double check all his assignments.

"Here," Hermione replied, handing Ron back his paper. "Very good, except for the part where you said that goatsmilk will help in any potion. That's not true. It says it helps in any type of antidote."

"Did you change it?" Ron asked hopefully.

Hermione sighed. "Yes."

"Thank you! I _love_ you, Hermione!" Ron cried. He kissed her on the cheek. "Thank you."

Harry was taken aback by Ron's suddenly easy-going attitude about saying he loves Hermione. He remembered a moment in their sixth year (wait... that would be two years ago) when Ron had said the same thing, but then quickly left the common room. Now however, it was Hermione's turn to be embarrassed. She blushed a soft shade of pink and stammered, "Oh... er... no p-problem, Ron."

Ron had a smug look on his face. People all around the common room were looking at him, but he didn't notice. It wasn't until Ginny cried, "_Ron!_" that he took note of the world around him.

Swerving around, Ron looked at his sister. "What?"

"Oh my God, men are idiots!" Ginny said in disgust. She walked over to Hermione, who was still in a state of shock. "Are you okay?"

Hermione nodded. "I-I think so."

"Look, my brother's a git for not realizing," Ginny said calmly. "Don't feel too bad about it. I'm really sorry he doesn't take any note of your feelings."

"What feelings?" Ron asked.

"Oh shut up," Ginny spat. She turned back to Hermione. "Tell me if you want me to kill him."

Hermione let a weak smile replace the look of shock. "No, it's o-okay."

"_What feelings?_" Ron repeated, frustrated. "Look, I can't know what feelings I hurt if I don't know what the hell the feelings are!"

Ginny rolled her eyes and led Hermione up to the girls dormitory. As he watched them turn the corner and out of sight, Ron turned to Harry. "What were they talking about?"

"I don't know," Harry lied. The truth was, he had a strong suspicion he knew what feelings Ginny and Hermione were talking about.

Ron sighed and put his head in his hands. "Women. Can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em."

Up in the girls dorm, Ginny sat on one end of Hermione's bed, Hermione on the other. So far, it had been Ginny doing all the talking, rambling on about what a prat Ron was and how sorry she was that he had done that. Hermione had just sat there, listening and staring at the wall.

"Look, why don't you just tell him?" Ginny asked suddenly. "Maybe then he would stop making fun of you like that."

Hermione stared at Ginny in horror. "No!" she cried. "Don't you know how much of a strain that would put on our friendship! You should."

"How would I know?" Ginny demanded.

"You liked Harry for the longest time! And don't pretend you weren't hurt when he broke up with you," Hermione warned her. "I know better. You were in here crying for three days!"

"Th-that's just because I..." Ginny let her sentance drop off. _Damn it,_ she thought. Hermione knew too much.

"See?" Hermione said. "Ginny, as much as I want to tell Ron and see how he feels, I can't. I'd be dreaming if he said he feels the same way. He'd laugh in my face and push me away. I wouldn't be able to stand it."

"But how do you know how he feels unless you ask?" Ginny inquired.

"Oh, you mean like you did?" Hermione asked sarcastically.

"Hey, I'm not proud of how I approached Harry, but it did good in the long run, right?" Ginny responded hastily. "But that's not my point. My point is: get it over with."

Hermione glared at Ginny. As much as she hated to admit it, Ginny was more experienced in the dating game than Hermione was. The closest Hermione had ever gotten to a boyfriend was Viktor Krum, and he turned out to be a Death Eater. "Fine," she grumbled. "I'll do it."

Ginny smiled widely. "I knew you'd come around eventually. Now, when are you going to tell him?"

Hermione stared at Ginny. She simply said, "Good question."


End file.
